NDC Number Decoder: Read the Code on Your Pill Bottle
Paste the National Drug Code from a bottle, box or insurance statement. The tool checks that it's well-formed and explains each of its three segments.
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Check whether an NDC is a complete, well-formed code
Type it exactly as printed, hyphens included (for example 12345-6789-0). This only checks the shape of the code; it doesn't look up a drug name.
How to use it
- Find the NDC on the bottle, box, pharmacy paperwork or an insurance statement. It's usually labeled “NDC”.
- Type it into the box exactly as printed, hyphens included. An example looks like 12345-6789-0 (a made-up code in the 5-4-1 layout).
- Read the result. Green means the shape is valid. Amber means something is off, and the message says what.
What your result means
A valid result means the code has three numeric segments in a shape the FDA recognizes. The tool then shows what each segment stands for:
- Labeler: the firm registered as the maker, repackager or distributor.
- Product: that firm's code for one drug, strength and dosage form.
- Package: the package size and type.
It doesn't say what the drug is, and a well-formed number isn't proof the code is real. Take it to the FDA's NDC Directory or a pharmacist for the product name.
If the format check fails
Most failures come from a short or extra digit, a missing hyphen, or a letter that was really a number. If you only see a run of digits with no hyphens, don't guess where the breaks go. Check the original source again, or read the 11-digit billing version carefully, since it adds a padding zero that the printed 10-digit code doesn't have.
There's more on where to find an NDC and what to do with it in using an NDC number when the imprint and label are gone. Whatever you learn, a pharmacist is the one who can confirm it, and you shouldn't take a pill you haven't positively identified.
Frequently asked questions
What is an NDC number?
It's the National Drug Code, a number that identifies one drug product in the United States: the labeler, the product and the package size. It has three segments separated by hyphens.
Does this tool tell me what drug the NDC is?
No. It only checks the shape of the code. To get a product name, look the number up in the FDA's NDC Directory or ask a pharmacist.
What do the NDC formats mean?
Printed NDCs have 10 digits in a 4-4-2, 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 layout. Billing and claims systems use an 11-digit 5-4-2 layout with a leading zero added to whichever segment was one digit short.
Can an NDC identify a loose pill?
No. An NDC belongs to a package, and it can't be read off a loose pill. A valid NDC from a bottle or paperwork is a strong lead to bring to a pharmacist, not a finished answer.
My code fails the check. What now?
Look at the source again for a misread digit, a missing hyphen or a digit that was cut off. Don't fill in the gap yourself. A pharmacist can often work from the digits you do have.
Related guides
- Using an NDC Number When the Imprint and Label Are GoneA National Drug Code from an old receipt, an insurance record, or a half-faded label can still be useful even with the pill's imprint worn away. Here's how to read it, and where it stops being enough on its own.
- Faded or Missing Prescription Label? How to Identify MedicationAn old prescription bottle with a label you can't read isn't the same problem as a loose pill with no container at all. Here's where the identification actually starts, and why it usually isn't with the pills themselves.
- How to Identify a Pill With No Imprint or MarkingsMost pill identifiers need an imprint code — so they fail the moment a pill is blank. Here's how to actually narrow down an unmarked pill by color, shape and photo, and how to do it safely.